AUTHOR'S NOTE: I woke up this morning with the oddest thought and figured I had better sit right down and capture it before it escapes. What if there were no "right angles" in the world and instead only oblique transitions? (I think my contemplation of reversed cards may have given me nightmares). In astrology, only … Continue reading Obliquity
Reversed Cards
Reversed Cards as “Sticking Point”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a recent discussion about reversed cards on one of the online tarot pages, it was frequently asserted that "upside-down" orientation can be ignored because all 78 cards exhibit both positive and negative meanings when in their normal aspect, and whether to emphasize one over the other depends on the context of the … Continue reading Reversed Cards as “Sticking Point”
Reversed Cards and the Golden Dawn
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Every once in a while I encounter another self-anointed expert who insists that reversed-card meanings must not be used with the Thoth tarot and other Golden-Dawn-based decks, and that Elemental Dignity is the only permissible method for judging the fortunate or unfortunate complexion of the cards in a reading beyond their intrinsic stand-alone … Continue reading Reversed Cards and the Golden Dawn
“The Boomerang Effect” – Reversal as Denial
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was reading Isabel Kliegman's description of the reversed 9 of Cups as indicating "denial of the need for self-care" (my words paraphrasing hers) in an alcohol-addiction scenario where the client was obviously lying to herself. Smelling another opportunity to enhance my growing appreciation for reversed-card significance, I decided to look through my … Continue reading “The Boomerang Effect” – Reversal as Denial
The Withholding
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've always had reservations about the prevailing opinion of the Waite-Smith 6 of Pentacles that advocates "charity and generosity" as its core premise since I believe this is social commentary that Smith grafted onto Waite's basic divinatory meanings of "gifts, presents and gratification," objective ideas that present no moral argument (although he does … Continue reading The Withholding
A “Poser” for the Celtic Cross
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The term "poser" has a couple of meanings; it can refer to a question that is exceptionally difficult to answer, or to an individual who is "faking it" in some way. I recently read a fascinating essay in New Yorker magazine about the "imposter phenomenon" (not "syndrome" since, according to its creators, it … Continue reading A “Poser” for the Celtic Cross
“Crisis at the Crossroads” – A Problem-Solving Spread
This spread uses elemental affinity and reversal to arrive at one of three possible outcomes for problem resolution: "Accept and Support;" "Try Everything" or "Do Nothing." In each case it creates a five-card reading with the "Crossroads" card as the "turning point" in the matter. Shuffle the deck to allow for reversals.
Rationalizing the Inevitable: A Case Study
In contemplating the issues of "conflict and compromise" in a tarot reading, I'm exploring the idea that the cards that show up in these positions can challenge our self-confidence or trust in our ability to surmount the difficulties depending on how well-attuned we are to the energies of the cards. If they are cards we … Continue reading Rationalizing the Inevitable: A Case Study
“The Light’s On But Nobody’s Home”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a brief meditation on the Hanged Man. The title of the post comes from the halo around the head of the figure in the Waite-Smith version. Albano-Waite Tarot, copyright of U.S. Games Systems Inc, Stamford, CT While reading The Way of Tarot, I came across Alejandro Jodorowsky's observation that the suspended … Continue reading “The Light’s On But Nobody’s Home”
The Overturned Cups: Half Full or Half Empty?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is a wonderful metaphor that speaks directly to our attitude about life's occasional downturns and hints at whether we are naturally optimistic or pessimistic in our outlook: "Is the glass half full or half empty?" As a lifelong skeptic, my first thought when confronted with this conundrum is "What's in the glass?" … Continue reading The Overturned Cups: Half Full or Half Empty?
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 